DCUSU voted to support reunification of Ireland

By Shauna Bowers

DCU Students’ Union voted in favour of supporting the reunification of Ireland on Friday.

A total of 1,494 students voted to support the movement which was 76 percent of the overall votes counted.

DCU Students’ Union not only supports Irish unity after this referendum, but will also call on the State to hold a referendum on the reunification in question.

The petition for a referendum was brought to the Students’ Union in December by DCU Sinn Fein’s Republican Youth (DCU SFRY) who were delighted that the referendum passed.

“We are absolutely over the moon,” chairperson of DCU SFRY, Aaron O’Ruairc told The College View. “We are just so delighted. I want to thank the DCU4Unity team that we had.

“We felt that with regards to reunification, the results speak for themselves and it seems like students are very open to the idea of reunification. Partition isn’t an option for the country anymore. The country can’t survive partition for much longer. The students understood that.”

DCU4Unity, the group campaigning for this referendum, comprised of the DCU youth wings of Fianna Fail, Sinn Fein and Labour.

There was a lower voter turnout this year for both the SU elections and the referendums which were held on the same day. Niall Behan, President of DCU Students’ Union attributed this drop to Storm Emma and to the ongoing construction on campus.

Speaking about the campaign, Danika Sugrue, the chairperson of DCU’s Sustainable living told The College View: “Zero-waste is extremely difficult to attain, which can be disheartening to those trying to achieve it. That’s why the campaign is based around plastic-free.”